Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

संस्थाप्याथ सुतं राज्ये बभूव वनगोचरः । सकलत्रो महाभागो वानप्रस्थाश्रमे रतः

Transliteration

saṃsthāpyātha sutaṃ rājye babhūva vanagocaraḥ | sakalatro mahābhāgo vānaprasthāśrame rataḥ

Translation

ครั้นแล้วเขาสถาปนาบุตรไว้ในราชอาณาจักร แล้วตนออกสู่ป่า; พร้อมภรรยา ผู้มีบุญยิ่งนั้นตั้งมั่นในอาศรมวานปรัสถะ

Word by Word

• संस्थाप्य: having installed/established
• संस्थाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थाप्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive, ल्यप्); पूर्वक्रिया

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• सुतम्: son
• सुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• राज्ये: in the kingdom
• राज्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वनगोचरः: one who moves in the forest
• वनगोचरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (वने गोचरः)

• सकलत्रः: with his wife
• सकलत्रः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (सह/सम्; उपसर्गार्थ) + कलत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समासः (सकलत्रः = ‘having a wife/with spouse’)

• महाभागः: very fortunate/noble
• महाभागः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् भागः यस्य)

• वानप्रस्थाश्रमे: in the vānaprastha stage/āśrama
• वानप्रस्थाश्रमे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (वानप्रस्थानाम् आश्रमः)

• रतः: devoted/engaged
• रतः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम् (धातु) → रत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आसक्तः/निरतः’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king places the crown on his son; then the couple departs toward a forest hermitage with minimal belongings—kamandalu, deer-skin, staff—leaving palace behind.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Varnāśrama-dharma honors timely transition: securing social order, then turning toward austerity and inner life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it describes the move to forest-dwelling within the Māhātmya storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The practice indicated is adopting vānaprastha—forest-based discipline and simplified life—rather than a single rite.